What features should you look for when choosing the best tires for Honda Pilot? It is a question that all drivers have to face a few years after the purchase of this crossover. Original tires, no matter how good they come out of the factory, have a limit after which their performance starts to suffer.

Consequently, if the tires of your
Honda Pilot are showing signs of wear, it’s time to replace them with new
pair(s). Otherwise, if you insist on using the factory tires for as long as
possible, it will only be a matter of time before the vibrations coming out of
their tread will turn your crossover into a bouncing car.

Hence the reason why we came up with this review of the best Honda Pilot tires. These are models that won’t only keep vibrations from entering the vehicle’s cabin but will also have a positive impact on the crossover’s fuel efficiency, steering responsiveness, and road traction.

Read on to find the best Honda Pilot tires recommended money can buy.

Best All-Season Tires for Honda Pilot

General Grabber HTS 60

The General Grabber HTS is a
replacement of its predecessor, the older HTS, and makes improvements in the
areas of treadwear, comfort, and performance. Its manufacturer is of the view that
this tire improves treadwear by up to 25 percent, a claim which we found to be
true while reviewing this model.

Features

One thing which is common among
all General tires is that they are equipped with a lot of technologies, with
the Grabber HTS 60 conforming to the norm. It is loaded with DuraGen technology
which has increased this tire’s cut and chip resistance by introducing cuts in
its tread.

Furthermore, to make sure that
the tread wears evenly, the StabiliTread Technology of this model comes into
play. What it does is simply increasing the footprint of the tire on the road.
The results of this ‘simple’ arrangement are long-lasting – as it reduces the
pressure on the tire to help it last longer.

Equally useful a role is played
by the HTS 60’s Comfort Balance Technology. To separate the cabin of your Honda
Pilot from road vibrations, this technology has covered the tire’s tread’s top
layer with a cushioned layer. Together with the built-in steel plates, it has
helped make your riding experience comfortable.

Moreover, you won’t be having
many complaints about the wet performance of this tire. Its wide
circumferential grooves play the double role of providing additional grip and
channeling water away from beneath the tire’s diameter, thereby preventing
hydroplaning.

On top of everything else, this
all-season tire operates quietly. The credit for those goes to its Comfort
Balance Technology whose introduction of a vibration-absorption sheet beneath
its tread has empowered this tire to roll on while making minimal noises.

Pros

Great
wet weather performance

Tread
wears evenly

Excellent
cut and chip resistance

Cons

Pricey

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Ahead of our review of the
Michelin Defender LTX M/S – which included checking its features and taking
this model out for a test drive – all our experts were unanimous that this is
primarily a dry tarmac tire which can hold its own on moderately wet surfaces.
That’s exactly what its review confirmed.

Features

Similar to the Grabber HTS 60
that we saw above, the Michelin Defender LTX M/S also comes loaded with
technologies. The most important among
them is its ‘EverTread’ Technology which empowers the tire’s inner substances
to better withstand road abuse, thereby increasing its tread life.

Once you ride away from the dry
tarmac – and head towards slippery surfaces – you’d notice the presence of
Intellisipe Technology of this model. It increases the traction of this
all-season tire by increasing the absolute number of its ‘biting’ edges,
thereby ensuring your and the car’s safety on slippery roads.

Next comes the Comfort Control
Technology whose name betrays its intentions. We were able to see this
technology in action as our highway riding experience was smooth and quiet.
Michelin claims that that’s the case because of this technology increases the
on-road grip of the Defender.

As for this tire’s durability,
that’s where you’d find its reinforced internal structure playing its part. It
does the same thanks to twin steel belts which won’t let the tire deform under
pressure. Though it would be wrong on our part to merely credit the steel belts
for this tire’s long shelf life.

Instead, its Max Touch
Construction delivers equal praise. It evenly distributes the forces of
braking, acceleration and cornering across the entire tread area of the
Defender. As a result, even with the speedometer showing a number of 3,000
miles, we didn’t find anything shocking on the tread area.

Pros

Tough
tread compound

Added
grip on wet surfaces

Even
distribution of various forces

Cons

Not for
extra cold conditions

Michelin Premier LTX

In contrast to both the tires
mentioned above, the Michelin Premier LTX isn’t an all-season highway/city
tire. Rather, this model is designed for those of you who have a knack of
touring. That’s the reason why most of its features are those which you won’t
find in normal all-season options.

Features

How does this tire distinguish
itself from all-season highway tires? For starters, by using a combo of
sunflower oil and silica compound in its tread. The former is a bonding agent
and thus increases the overall tire strength, whereas the silica compound adds
to this tire’s flexibility to improve its traction.

As this is an all-season touring
tire, Michelin has paid special attention to its traction. You can guess that
by looking at its ‘EverGrip’ technology, which has tinkered with the tread
design to improve the grip of this model on both dry and wet surfaces.

Furthermore, even when the tread
will start to show signs of wearing, you won’t notice any reduction in the
tire’s grip. And the credit for this goes to the tread’s hidden grooves. As the
original grooves start to wear, their hidden counterparts tend to widen, before
eventually replacing the original grooves.

Sounds fantastical, doesn’t it?
Wait till you use this tire, and then you’d agree that what we’re describing
here isn’t something out of a brochure. Anyways, moving on, and one more aspect
of this tire which caught our attention was its durability.

Reinforced with polyamide cord,
the internal steel belts of the LTX – which are also protected with a polyester
casing ply – not only protect this tire but also prevent its vibrations from making
their way inside your cabin, with the result that you get a comfortable and
smoother driving experience.

Pros

Enhanced
grip

Comfortable
riding experience

60,000
miles warranty

Cons

Short
tread life

Best All-Terrain Tires for Honda Pilot

Pirelli Scorpion ATR

Designed for crossovers, SUVs and
light pickups, the Pirelli Scorpion ATR are all-terrain tires that also hold
their own on highway conditions. Add to the equation their sporty features
which we’re going to discuss in a short while, and these tires are must-have
for off-roaders.

Features

The presence of a silica-based
tread compound and asymmetric pattern should tell you everything you need to
know about this tire’s emphasis on traction. While the former strengthens the
tire and enhances its traction on wet surfaces, the asymmetric tread pattern
ensures stability on dry tarmac.

Moreover, its lateral shoulder
grooves do much more than channeling water away from beneath the tire’s
footprint – a feature you cannot ignore since it prevents your vehicle from
slipping on wet surfaces. The shoulder grooves also decrease the braking
distance of these tires and improve their overall handling.

One terrain where the
silica-based tread compound really shined was on twisty dust roads. Apart from
enhancing its traction (which Pirelli tells you it would do), the compound also
quietens the tire and increase its load transitional characteristics (which
Pirelli doesn’t tell), thereby giving a smooth ride.

Unfortunately, we cannot say the
same about the performance of these tires in the mud. The traction was slightly
lower than we expected and the noise level was a notch higher. Though it more
than made up for this shortcoming by its above-average performance on rocky
terrains.

Summarizing everything we have
said above, these all-terrain tires won’t let you have any complaints if your
driving route consists of wet surfaces, rocky terrains, loose dirt and
hard-packed gravel. Just make sure that you don’t test their patience in mud
for long.

Pros

Great traction
on rocks

Brilliant
performance on dirt

Quiet
riding experience

Cons

Performance
nosedives on mud

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015

In the early days of all-terrain
tires, most of them were one-trick ponies. They offered brilliant performance
in off-road conditions but suffered on dry tarmac. However, as the features of
the Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 will show you, today’s all-terrain tires
justify their name.

Features

Starting with the best feature of
these all-terrain tires, and their EdgeTec Grooves come into play. Supported by
an open tread block design, these grooves have a high number of biting edges to
let the driver know that regardless of the surface, their traction won’t
suffer.

To deliver brilliant performance
in off-road conditions, these tires feature steel belts, sidewall protectors
and EnduroCore technology. While the first two stabilize the tire in the face
of external abuse, the technology reinforces the belt construction to buffet
the tire from inside.

Additionally, to make sure that
these tires provide enough traction in wet and winter conditions, Yokohama has
equipped them with its trademark Enduro Compound. It consists of silica and
orange oil and has a positive impact not only on the tire’s traction but also
on its braking and handling.

The fact that these tires have a
snowflake/mountain symbol tells you everything you need to know about their
extreme weather performance. This stamp is embossed only on those tires which
meet RMA’s extremely high, severe snow performance criterion.

Finally, during the time these
tires will be handling all these tough terrains, you won’t have to worry about
getting a flat tire. You can afford to be carefree in this regard because their
tread area contains a nylon cover which makes these tires more puncture
resistant than your average AT model.

Pros

Snowflake/mountain
symbol

Long-lasting
tread life

Excellent
off-road traction

Cons

Struggles
on large rocks

Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain

The Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain
is a great choice for drivers who spend a lion’s share of their time on dry
tarmac but occasionally wander off to off-road conditions. And they don’t want
to sacrifice their comfort and quiet-riding experience on either.

Features

One of the best
features that we found about this tire is that its tread compound is made of
Kevlar. That’s right; the same Kevlar that is used in bullet-proof vests.
Though the purpose of its usage in this model’s tread isn’t to dodge bullets,
in case you had your doubts.

Tucked beneath
the tread and above the two steel belts, Kevlar has replaced nylon-cord to make
this tire stronger, lighter and puncture-resistant. Perhaps that’s the reason
why this tire can rival summer tires (which usually last longer) with its
warranty period of 60,000 miles.

Provided you
still need proofs that these tires are for winter driving, Goodyear provides
that by emblazoning the ‘’mountain-snowflake’’ emblem right on top of their
tread. Though even if it wasn’t there, the performance of the tread would have
been enough to prove that point.

To provide an additional
surface on loose surfaces, the tread contains special ridges and open shoulder
blocks. Both these parts perform the self-cleaning function – they shed off
dirt and snow as the tire rolls. That means that there would be fewer (if any)
chances of hydroplaning.

And on top of
everything else, the Wrangler All-Terrain benefits from Goodyear’s Durawell
Technology. It imparts cut resistance to the Wrangler’s sidewalls, above and
beyond the specs. The added toughness will come handy for those drivers who
loving slaloming through rocking terrains.

Pros

Self-cleaning
function

Grip and
traction on heavy snow

Comfortable
driving experience

Cons

Questionable
mud performance

Best Summer Tires for Honda Pilot

Michelin Latitude Sport 3

Best Budget Summer Tires for Honda Pilot

As you might tell by looking at
the term ‘Sport’ in its name, this Michelin tire is a high-performance option
for crossovers like Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. You might want it if you
want world-class performance on meltingly hot summer roads.

Features

It was way back in 2002 that
Michelin came up with the first Latitude Sport tire. The world has changed a
lot in the last 2 decades and so this tire has followed suit. When compared to
both its predecessors, we found this tire doing well on most counts.

To demonstrate the last point
with an example, consider its tread footprint. A mere juxtaposing of its specs
with those of its previous model reveals that the Latitude Sport 3 comes with a
10% larger tread footprint. What does that mean in real life? Better safety in
wet weather conditions.

Yet another area where this tire
performs head and shoulders above those it has come to replace is its
longevity. The mixture of unique rubber compound, latest-gen elastomers and
silica allow this model to provide huge mileage without breaking down.

Lastly, the small tread blocks
that dot its circumference do much more than lowering the rolling resistance.
Instead, by decreasing the friction which the tire will encounter as it rolls
ahead, the tread blocks will also help lower down your vehicle’s fuel
consumption.

Pros

Improved
dry weather traction

Better
road contact

Longer
tread life

Cons

Average
gravel handling

General Grabber UHP

Best High-Performance Summer Tires for Honda Pilot

Although some of its users vouch
for this tire’s performance in all seasons, we recommend that if you want to
take advantage of everything that these tires have to offer, it’s best that you
reserve them for summer conditions.

Features

Starting with a
glance at their tread design, it offers three specific benefits to the drivers
of crossovers like Honda Pilot. First, it has an optimized design that lowers
down the tread pattern’s noise levels as the tire moved forward. So you can
expect to enjoy a quiet ride.

Secondly, the
tread has angled grooves that won’t allow water to accumulate beneath it. The
angle is such that the rate of entry of water will always be equal to that of
its dispersing. That’s why dangerous phenomena like hydroplaning won’t take
root here.

Thirdly, since
the tread design is directional, it evenly distributes the tire’s pressure
along with the tread. Add to the equation the constant road contact, and you’d
realize that this model justifies its tag of an ultra-high-performance tire.

In an effort to
further sweeten the deal, the inner steel belts of this model are strengthened
with jointless wrapped nylon. You can get these tires in sizes ranging between
16 to 24 inches, and they are also available in four-speed ratings (T, H, V,
and W).

Pros

Excellent
steering response

Comfortable
and smooth ride

Outstanding
traction

Cons

Not for
winter conditions

Best Winter Tires for Honda Pilot

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

Best Budget Winter Tires for Honda Pilot

What is it that makes the Bridgestone Blizzk DM-V2 the best winter tires for Honda Pilot on the market? Apart from providing huge traction on snow-laden roads, these tires have a long tread life, provide excellent steering response, and have a smaller braking distance.

Features

At the cost of sounding
technical, it’s their NanoPro Tech Multicell compound which is the secret
behind these tires’ brilliant winter performance. The compound does that thanks
to its water-loving coating which separates water from snow, thereby improving
grip and traction.

Though that’s not the only reason
why these tires won’t slip in winter conditions. Their tread contains
microscopic bite particles which bite into the snow to increase these tires’
grip. Also, since the Multicell compound is extremely flexible, it further
lowers braking distance on ice.

Luckily, the good list of these
tires’ features doesn’t stop there. To effectively channel water, snow, and
slush away, they have a directional tread design. It makes full use of its
aggressive block edges to rid the tire’s contact area of any substance that
might affect its biting power.

To provide these tires with even
more biting power, Bridgestone has provided their tread with 3D zigzag sipes.
You also get a tread depth indicator which shows how much of the normal winter
compound (45% of the tread) and Multicell Compound (remaining 55%) is used.

Finally, while we weren’t
impressed with their rapidly deteriorating treadwear, we were also watching the
aggressive driving style of our person behind the wheel. That means that unless
you don’t get too enthusiastic while driving, this treadlife will comfortably
outlast its warranty period.

Pros

Excellent
traction in extreme weather

Smaller
braking distance

More
biting power

Cons

Only
negative is their treadlife

Firestone Winterforce

Best Winter Tires for Honda Pilot

If money isn’t an object and you
want the best winter tire currently available on the market, the Firestone
Winterforce might just be right for you. This is a dedicated snow tire whose
biting edges and extreme weather tractions make it a must-have for sub-zero
temperatures.

Features

When drivers think of winter
tires, they envisage models that have inserts where they could add studs for
better traction, tires with excellent cut and chip resistance and a flexible
rubber compound which not only holds its own by providing excellent grip in
deep snow conditions.

In case you’re wondering, the
previous paragraph isn’t a figment of our imagination. All these are features
of the Firestone Winterforce. This tire comes with shoulder tread blocks which
increase its cornering power and road-gripping ability.

Also on offer is an aggressive
directional tread pattern which improves their steering responsiveness and
driving stability. The presence of high-density 3D sipes, meanwhile, further
reinforces their gripping ability on deep snow-laden roads.

And to ensure that the tire
doesn’t give way midway through your journey, its internal twin steel belts
prevent it from deforming under pressure. At the same time, the casing on the
belts helps maintain road contact and keeps road vibrations at a minimum.

Pros

Huge durability

Excellent
winter road-gripping

Commendable
cornering power

Enhanced
hydroplaning resistance

Cons

Performance
on the dry tarmac could be better

How to Choose the Best Tires for Honda Pilot?

Although we asked this question at the start of this article, it’s in this section we’re going to give you some tips using which you can choose the best tires for Honda Pilot.

Tire Size

Most drivers know that the
placard located on their side door indicates the size of tires that fits their
vehicle. For instance, the tire size of your Honda Pilot might read 235/70R16.
This string of numbers indicates tire width, the ratio of its height when
compared to the width, and the tire diameter.

Some people prefer oversized
tires because they think (correctly) that these tires are more comfortable. Unless
you are planning to take that route, here is the list of tire sizes that will fit all Honda Pilot SE, EXL, EX, LX and
Touring models.

235/70R16

235/65R17

245/65R17

235/60R18

245/60R18

245/50R20

Weather Conditions

As a driver, what are the worst
weather conditions you expect yourself to face? Once you have answered this
question, you’ll most likely make a choice among the following three options.

Summer Tires

Summer tires are designed for
those Honda Pilots which won’t venture off the highway for most parts of the
year. These models provide excellent grim in warm weather conditions and have
speed ratings that let you drive at or above 120mph. And their tread life is
the longest among tires.

On the flip side, not everything
is hunky-dory about these options. They have soft rubber which provides
minimum-to-zero traction in cold weather conditions. So if the sun doesn’t
shine in your part of the woods for most of the year, these tires shouldn’t be
on your wish-list.

Winter Tires

Unlike summer tires that can hold
their own in moderate weather conditions, winter tires simply stop performing
when it gets too hot out there. That’s because these tires have a special tread
compound that is designed to provide more-than-average grip on slippery
surfaces.

They also have more biting edges
(called ‘sipes’) that allow these tires to divide the ice and bite into snow.
As a result, if you take the same tires on your highway, their traction would
result in noisy and uncomfortable driving experience.

All Season

You might have already guessed
why the lion’s share of Honda Pilots you see running on the roads have
all-season tires. These models provide the best of both worlds; they provide
decent traction in slippery conditions while meeting the demands of dry roads.

Driving Route

Does your daily routine involve
nothing but paved roads? Or do you like off-roading on the weekends? Your
answers to both these questions will determine the next set of tires for your
Honda Pilot.

Touring and Highway Tires

Although these tires are mainly
designed for city driving, you can also use them on highway or road with
minimum fuss. They separate them from other options by offering optimum braking
distance on both dry tarmac and slippery surfaces, and you can also count on
them to provide good fuel economy.

Furthermore, these tires either
have built-in tread compounds or their manufacturers use such technologies in
their construction which provide comfort both in terms of noise level and
vibration. Also, as long as you don’t venture off-the-road, they’d provide
excellent steering response.

Having said that, the absence of
any slits in their design makes these tires useless for off-road conditions. They
don’t have anything in their tread compound that will allow them to resist, let
alone absorb, vibrations coming from rocks. And nor would they offer traction
on dusty and gravel-filled roads.

All-terrain Tires

As their name implies,
‘all-terrain’ tires are designed to be driven on all kinds of surfaces. These
are models that combine the good handling of touring tires with the open-tread
design of off-road ones. Hence the reason why some people choose to call them
all-purpose tires.

Talking about the good features
of these tires, their open-tread design stands out in this regard. It contains
many interlocking elements that help the tire provide added grip on mud and
rocks. They also have reinforced sidewalls that increase their load-carrying
capacity.

On the flip side, their
open-tread design and more biting edges make these tires extremely noisy. Also,
since they have a soft rubber to provide more flexibility, the tread life of
these tires is shorter, somewhere close to 40,000 miles. And their fuel efficiency
is low, too, when compared with touring tires.

High-Performance Tires

There are three factors you need
to be aware of before choosing high-performance tires. First, they are designed
for precise handling with better responsiveness and improved grip at ultra-high
speeds. Is that something that you’re looking for?

Secondly, in case you were
wondering, their ultra-high-speed performance comes at a cost. These tires
consume more fuel, last less long, and provide less ride comfort than their
all-season counterparts. Is it a sacrifice that you’re willing to make?

Thirdly, and this factor stems
from the second one, these tires aren’t made for those whose routine involves
riding to office in the morning and back in the evening. Instead, they are made
for those who want a heightened driving experience. Is that you we’re describing?

Conclusion

Summarizing everything we said above, there are three things you need to keep in consideration to choose the best tires for Honda Pilot. They include your driving style, the route you drive on daily and the weather conditions in your area. Once you have identified all these aspects, come back to this article to get the best tire for your needs.